Course guide · April
Map, elevation profile and full guide to the Rotterdam Marathon course: where it goes, the Erasmus Bridge crossing and why its flat layout makes it one of the fastest in Europe.
Course · 42.195 km
The Rotterdam Marathon route is one of the fastest in Europe. It starts and finishes on the Coolsingel, the grand central avenue, crosses the iconic Erasmus Bridge over the river Maas and runs through the most modern, architecturally daring city in the Netherlands.
Whether you're running it for the first time or want to relive the course you already conquered, this guide walks you through where it goes, what its profile is like and what you'll find in each section.
The start and finish are on the Coolsingel, right in the centre. Early on, the route crosses the Erasmus Bridge — nicknamed 'the Swan' for its white silhouette — over the river Maas. It's the image that defines the Rotterdam marathon and one of the most spectacular moments of the race.
Rotterdam is one of the fastest marathons on the continent. The course is completely flat with long straights, which — together with the cool April air — makes it a regular destination for personal-best hunters. Only the wind can complicate the odd stretch.
The course skirts parts of Europe's largest port and crosses the long Van Brienenoord Bridge, which provides the only real rise of the route. It's the industrial, harbour-facing side of a city that lives by the water.
Rotterdam was flattened in World War II and rebuilt with bold, modern architecture. Running its avenues, among avant-garde buildings, is a tour of a city that chose to reinvent itself — quite unlike any other European capital.
Free · downloadable PDF
The full course as a PDF plus the tips that actually matter: what to do the days before, how to plan race morning (breakfast, gels, timings) and how to recover afterwards. We'll email it to you.
It starts on the Coolsingel, crosses the Erasmus Bridge over the river Maas to the south bank early on, follows the riverbanks, crosses the Van Brienenoord Bridge, passes the Kralingse Plas lake and returns to the centre to finish back on the Coolsingel.
It's essentially flat, one of the fastest courses in Europe. The only real rise is the Van Brienenoord Bridge. Wind can be the only added difficulty on the odd open stretch.
Both the start and the finish are on the Coolsingel, Rotterdam's grand central avenue, in the heart of the city.
The Rotterdam Marathon is held in April. It's one of the fastest marathons in Europe and a classic destination for chasing a personal best.
Yes. At Ubyssal the Rotterdam Marathon course is already preloaded. Just enter your name and time, choose a colour and format, and you get a personalised poster with the exact route you ran. Available as a downloadable PDF from €14.99.
Your route on the wall
The route is already preloaded. Add your name and your time and create your personalised Rotterdam Marathon poster. From €14.99.
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